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Cognitive therapy improves three-month outcomes in hospitalized patients with heart failure

Rebecca L Dekker1, Debra K Moser, Ann R Peden

  • 1University of Kentucky College of Nursing, Lexington, KY 40536-0232, USA. rdekker@uky.edu

Journal of Cardiac Failure
|December 27, 2011
PubMed

Insights

A brief, nurse-delivered cognitive therapy intervention improved cardiac event-free survival in hospitalized heart failure patients. This intervention may enhance outcomes for patients experiencing depressive symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Nursing

Background:

  • Depressive symptoms are common in heart failure (HF) patients and worsen outcomes.
  • Cognitive therapy may alleviate these symptoms and improve patient well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate a brief, nurse-delivered cognitive therapy intervention for hospitalized HF patients.
  • To assess the intervention's impact on depressive symptoms, negative thinking, quality of life, and cardiac event-free survival.

Main Methods:

  • 41 hospitalized HF patients with depressive symptoms were randomized to a control or brief cognitive therapy group.
  • Intervention included in-hospital sessions and a 1-week booster call.
  • Outcomes measured at 1 week and 3 months; cardiac event-free survival assessed at 3 months.

Main Results:

  • Both groups showed improved depressive symptoms and quality of life.
  • The intervention group had significantly better 3-month cardiac event-free survival (80% vs. 40%).
  • The intervention group had a 3.5-fold lower hazard of cardiac events.

Conclusions:

  • Brief, nurse-delivered cognitive therapy can improve short-term, event-free survival in hospitalized heart failure patients.
  • Further research with larger samples is warranted to confirm these findings.
Abstract

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